COLUMBUS, Ohio On a recent day, Caleb Downs, Ohio States All-American and projected NFL first-round draft pick, approached the schools athletic director here with an unusual request.
It didnt involve revenue-share, NIL compensation or transferring.
He wanted to shadow me in my job, Ross Bjork said.
Downs is different from most other players here. Hes 20 going on 40, a college football player destined to one day be a business executive, an athletic freak determined to be a real-estate magnate.
One coach here describes Downs as having an elite mind that goes well beyond football. For fun, he reads financial and economic literary works, has become an investor in stocks, private equity and property, and is so interested in wrist watches and expensive cars that, instead of owning several, he bought into watch and car companies, says his father, Gary.
Caleb is inquisitive and curious, always searching for the why in his everyday life. Hes been baptized twice, in fact, once at age 5 and then again last year after Caleb told his father that he wanted to receive the blessing while old enough to actually understand it.
He began holding full-blown conversations with adults at age 4, determined at age 5 the name of his future son (Samuel), and began studying football film of his upcoming youth league opponents at age 7.
If this all seems abnormal, it is.
Wait until you hear what music he listens to: Michael Jackson, Mary J. Blige and New Edition.
Everybody tells me that Im an old soul, Downs said. I like old-school music and things like that.
Do his teammates listen with him? No.
But the strength staff does, he said laughing.
You may know Downs most for his on-field exploits as the best safety in college football on, arguably, the best defense in college football. He draws comparisons as the next Ed Reed, an athletic specimen whose physical attributes are only trumped by his mental adeptness.
His versatility extends beyond making a big hit on a running back, covering a tight end off the line of scrimmage or roaming center field in zone coverage.
He sees the field as well as anyone in the country. Hes got football savviness, said new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.
You dont find too many college guys like him, said co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Tim Walton.
Hes a big reason why the Buckeyes are on a historic season-opening stretch. Opponents have scored two touchdowns in five games the best mark for any team to open the season in four years. Whats more incredible: Opponents have entered the Ohio State red zone just eight times this season and have scored zero touchdowns by far the most stingy red zone-defense in the country. No unit has opened a season better in red-zone drives since South Carolina in 2010 (11 straight red-zone drives without allowing a TD).
Thats one of the best defenses Ive ever seen in 13 years, said P.J. Fleck, whose Minnesota team last week kicked an opening-drive field goal and then spent the rest of the game attempting to cross midfield (they did that just once).
As the No. 1-ranked Buckeyes (5-0) gear up to play at No. 17 Illinois (5-1), a question looms: How has a squad that lost seven starters from last seasons championship group able to do this? Head coach Ryan Day cautions that its still early. Theres a long way to go, he said.
He credits the ability to keep his entire defensive coaching staff intact when Jim Knowles left for Penn State and adding longtime NFL defensive whiz Patricia as coordinator.
That was a huge part of all of this. It was tricky, Day said. When everything went down with Jim, it was January 27. The hiring cycle had happened, but wed just won a national championship with a really good defensive staff. We took our time with it. Did the right thing.
The right thing, apparently, was hiring Patricia to install an NFL-style scheme most similar to the one operated for years in Tuscaloosa by Nick Saban, who originally learned from the same man as Patricia, Bill Belichick.
At the center of Patricias defense is the art of a pre- and post-snap disguise mostly orchestrated by one guy: Caleb Downs.
Downs is Patricias moving chess piece, lining up in as many as five positions before the snap. Hes mostly positioned at free safety, inside the box with linebackers or on the slot receiver at a nickel spot. But hes crept low on the line with defensive linemen and out wide at cornerback, too.
Downs often shows one position and then a second before the snap or, even, at the snap shifts as an act to confuse the quarterback about Ohio States coverage.
Is it zone or man? Cover 1 or Cover 3?
Downs refers to it as changing the picture for the quarterback. Days calls his star safety the units eraser. And dad Gary watches from the stands in awe.
The biggest part is the deception, said Gary, who played running back for NC State and in the NFL for Broncos, Giants and Falcons. Caleb might open his hips to look like hed go one way but hed go the other. Is he running to the ball? Is he in the zone flat? Is he a spy?
Hes adapted to the disguise role enough that many believe hes improved, somehow, his draftability next spring.
Day isnt surprised. When he first saw Downs play high school ball in Georgia years ago, he knew what hed become.
I remember watching him play against Buford and saying to myself, Thats one of the best high school players Ive seen, Day said.
When youre at Ohio State, you have to mature because the expectations are so high about how you handle yourself. Youre so under a microscope, Day continued. But he came in that way. Some of these guys today have to grow up really fast and they dont have time for immature stuff.
Off the field, theres much more underneath Caleb’s hood.
While brought up in football his dad and uncle played a combined 18 years in the NFL and his brother plays for the Colts he isnt some sports junkie or jock. Hes savvy in business, academia, well read, polished and even emits an Ivy League vibe. He often says profound things, Gary said, even since his childhood. Sure, he reads a bunch of books from the economy to sports psychology but hes turned his NIL and revenue-share payments into investments.
Real estate fascinates him.
He has invested in several properties in Columbus, including apartment complexes, restaurants, car washes and storage facilities.
Why real estate?
Theres always buildings going up. Theres always going to be a place for people to go and live, Downs said.
At the end of the day, were only getting paid if we play at a high level. Dont play well, all of that goes down the drain, Caleb continued. The realization is were 20 years old. Theres not a lot of great things you can buy thatll be worth it in the long run. Im trying to put us in the best position thatll be worth it in the long run.
Us?
Hes smart enough to look ahead: I need to build this for my wife, children, grandkids, Day said.
The mysteries of life intrigue him. He wants to always learn, not just about football, but everything. For instance, Caleb recently took a couple days to watch all nine Star Wars movies just to understand the passion behind his fathers love for the series. He wants to shadow his own athletic director for a peek inside that world. And he experiments with foods as a way to appreciate different cultures.
He excels at virtually everything. Caleb recently took up golf, purchased two new sets of golf clubs and got his handicap to the low 80s. Hes started playing billiards too, in an effort to beat his dad (he still hasnt done it).
Hes independent and bold. Hes suspicious of those he doesnt know, mostly guarded and private. But get him started on music and hes engaged.
Caleb uses music and movies as tools in football, in fact. On gameday, hell watch a certain type of movie to rile him up, Gary said, like action flicks or high dramas. But the night before a game, he needs something calm and slower paced.
He recognizes the role of music and movies in our mood, Gary said.
But one of the most interesting things about Caleb is that he never really wanted to play football. He didnt have much of a choice in his household. At age 5, Calebs dad dressed him in full pads and pitted him against his brother Josh, three years his senior. The two clashed in the living room.
My Dad was like, Youre not going to go to practice without hitting somebody first, Caleb recalled. I dont know what happened. It probably wasnt great for me.
Even though he resisted playing, it turns out that little Caleb was pretty good at football. He scored five touchdowns in his first game.
The rest is now history: from a highly touted high school player in Georgia to a record-setting freshman at Alabama before transferring here after Saban retired. The overwhelming sentiment here is that this is his last year of college ball.
Hell be off to the NFL, which means more investments and a whole new world to explore in life for this old soul of a 20-year-old.
But, first, theres one last ride in Columbus to continue what might be a historic stretch.
When you get into the red zone against Caleb Downs and the Buckeyes, good luck.
I dont think theres any worry when we get down there, Downs said. Its like, Alright, backs against the wall make a play.